Arm Thyself
by Trevor X
Summary: A study of characters through the medium of their weapons. "All of his heroes wielded the spear, it was inevitable that he would choose that as his weapon." Complete
1. The Spear

**"Arm Thyself"**

_Game: Fire Emblem 8_

_Author: Trevor X (shining_valor)_

**~o0o~**

_The Spear_

Ephraim could never recall consciously choosing the weapon that he would wield for a lifetime. Any thought that he put into the matter would have been moot in any case; all of his heroes wielded the spear - Fado and Duessel - and the desire to follow in the footsteps of such great men would countenance no deviation from their path. There were obstacles in his path; varied instructors tried time and again to teach him the intricacies of other weapons, but for the prince there would be no other.

_He would sweep aside the foe with a length of wood tipped with steel._

His instructors finally bowed to the stubborn determination of the young prince and began to teach him the one thing that he desired to learn. And with single-minded focus, Ephraim began the long road to mastery of his weapon.

_A sweeping blow to clear the area around him from crowding foes..._

_Pointed strikes to take down the enemy in their vulnerabilities..._

And with the addition of a mere scrap of cloth, his weapon could become the rallying point for the troops. As he swung his practice weapon clumsily through the first few forms, Ephraim daydreamed of battles yet to come.

_In all of them, he was leading the way._

**~o~**

AN: Drabble collection, part one of four. Planned characters_: Ephraim, Eirika, Innes, Seth._ Planned weapons: Spear, Sword, Bow, ? - because Seth's part isn't exactly clear at the moment.


	2. The Bow

**"Arm Thyself"**

_Disclaimer: Fire Emblem, no own = no profit._

**~o0o~**

_The Bow_

The heir to Frelia's throne sat ensconced in his tent, absently tracing the curved limbs of his favored partner. The smooth wood beneath his fingers betrayed no hint of strain or abuse from constant use of the past few weeks; Innes was primarily an archer and took the utmost care of his weapon. Unstrung, it lacked the tension that spoke of a readiness for battle and as such did nothing to distract the prince from his thoughts.

He had always been proud of his accomplishments with the bow. While Ephraim of Renais had chosen what some might consider a more martial path and Lyon of Grado had turned to sorcery to limit the stress that would be placed upon his body, Innes had mastered the one art that could defeat them both.

_Time_.

It would always take them time to attack him - Ephraim would always need to close the distance and Lyon would always have the pressure of his chants - and in that intervening space, Innes could fill the distance with a hail of arrows. In every dream that he encountered his rivals, he reigned over the battlefield with precise tokens of death.

Things changed when he encountered Eirika during the war; cut off from his army, his ranks bolstered only by a band of stubborn mercenaries who refused to listen to his orders and with his quiver half empty, he'd been rescued by the timely arrival of Eirika's column. It had been a time of great confusion overall and there had been no space for him to display the skills that he prided himself on.

_He'd comforted himself with the thought that the war would not end before he had time to display his prowess before the Princess of Renais._

Alas, it was not to be.

Time and again, while he stayed behind to rain death upon the foe, Eirika rushed in to confront them directly, guarded constantly by a handful of her retainers. For the first time he braved the proximity of his foes in order to speak with the unruly woman. He'd requested that she remain by his side so that he could protect her.

In response, she'd slain an enemy who drew too near for comfort and attempted to reassure him that he would not be harmed. His protests had gone unnoticed as she plunged back into the battle, her guardians quickly assembling themselves around her as the melee swallowed her up.

When he scolded her on her behavior later, she shrugged and dismissed his concern. _"If I stand behind you, then what use am I?"_

Innes had no answer for that question.

He had been forced to watch her walk away from him when he'd only wanted her to admire him for his prowess. She refused to understand, her view of the world tainted by her choice of a weapon.

_Why couldn't she have chosen the bow?_

He was certain that things would have been better that way.

**~o~**

AN: Longer. Enjoy.


	3. The Sword

**"Arm Thyself"**

_Disclaimer: Fire Emblem, no own = no profit._

**~o0o~**

_The Sword_

At first it had been the lure of time with her brother; Ephraim was always spending time out on the practice field, so learning to wield a weapon was a good excuse to insert herself by his side. That had lasted until Ephraim had admitted that there was nothing more that he could teach her with the weapon that she had taken in hand. For a time, such pursuits fell to the wayside, her skills stagnating in the time of peace.

_When the war came, another focus came to the fore._

It was always her knight striding ahead of her into danger or the brother leading the charge beyond the place where she must stand. The arm that wielded the sword was weak and she despised her own inability; finding a tutor in the battlefield, she swore to stride forth until she obtained the strength to stand beside those that she loved.

_The road was ever long, but she refused to falter._

Though she won her place at the head of the battle, she could never change her knight's mind on one point; he would always stand just ahead of her in order to shield her from any overwhelming foes. And so she fought on, until she earned the right to stand beside him upon the field of victory.

When they faced the demon king in his own realm and body, she stood beside the men that she had chased for so long. Finally they acknowledged her as their equal in the battle.

_In that moment, Eirika felt worthy of her sword._

**~o~**

AN: Part 3 of 4.


	4. Willpower

**"Arm Thyself"**

_Disclaimer: Obviously posting it on ffn doesn't profit beyond entertainment and enlightenment._

**~o0o~**

_Willpower_

A knight is the extension of a ruler's will, the tool by which power is deployed over the realm. Proficient with both mounted warfare and the more mundane infantry tactics, he wields whatever weapon best suits the situation. In the struggle between armies, his strength and courage provide the decisive edge to garner triumph on the deadly field of battle.

Seth understands that it is not the armor that he wears or the weapon that he wields in his hand that makes him a deadly force. It is not the even the sense of honorable chivalry and duty to his liege that he carries with him at all times. The key to his effectiveness is that he has the determination to carry out whatever command that he has been given, to the exclusion of his own welfare.

In truth, he is the weapon wielded. His mind and body dedicated to the fulfillment of right and honorable commands of his sworn lord, the knight would throw himself into the fray with naught but his bare hands, should it prove necessary.

_It is well then, that the one who wields him shows such care._

For if iron should break under constant strain, so too can a man of flesh and blood fail if pressed beyond what may be rightfully endured.

_And despite his protestations to the contrary, he finds an odd comfort in knowing that Eirika worries for his well-being._

It gives him the strength to push forward into every battle, despite overwhelming odds.

**~o~**

_Fin_


End file.
